Applebee’s Low-Fat Blackened Chicken Salad
Dressing:
1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/4 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Chicken Marinade:
1 cup water
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire
Cajun Spice Blend:
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons light butter
Salad:
8 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup fat free shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese
1 large tomato, diced
1 hardboiled egg white, diced
1. Make dressing by combining ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well by hand. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until salad is ready.
2. Combine water, lime juice, soy sauce, and Worcestershire in a medium bowl, and stir. Add the chicken breasts to the marinade, cover bowl and keep in refrigerator for several hours. Overnight is even better.
3. When chicken is marinated, preheat a frying pan or skillet (an iron skillet, if you’ve got it) over medium/high heat. Also, preheat your barbecue grill to medium/high heat.
4. Combine the spices for the Cajun spice blend in a small bowl. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the spice blend over one side of each of the chicken breasts. Cover the entire surface of the chicken with spice.
5. Melt the butter in the hot pan, then sear the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes on the side with the spices. While first side cooks, sprinkle another teaspoon of spice over the top of each chicken breast, coating that side as you did the other. Flip the chicken over, and sear for another 2-3 minutes. The surface of the chicken will be coated with a charred, black layer of flavor. This is exactly what you are shooting for.
6. Finish the chicken off on your barbecue grill. Grill each breast on both sides for 2-3 minutes, or until they are done.
7. While chicken is cooking prepare the salads by splitting the lettuce into two large bowls. Toss in the red cabbage and carrots. Mix the cheeses together, then top the salad with the cheeses and hardboiled egg. Sprinkle the diced tomato on each salad.
8. Slice the chicken breast, across each breast in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spread the chicken over the top of the salad and serve immediately with dressing on the side.
Serves 2 as an entree.
ASPARAGUS AND CHICKEN IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
2 Chicken thighs
12 medium Asparagus spears
3 tablespoons Peanut or corn oil
—–MARINADE—–
1 tablespoon Dry sherry
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
2 teaspoons Thin soy sauce
1 pinch Sugar
—–SAUCE—–
2 teaspoons Fermented black beans
3 Cloves garlic — minced
1/2 teaspoon Brown sugar
2 teaspoons Black soy sauce
3/4 cup Chicken stock
Cornstarch paste
Marinating: With sharp paring knife, scrape chicken meat from thigh; slice into thin strips across the grain. (Breast meat is not preferred for this dish, as meat is too dry and spongy.) Combine sherry, soy, cornstarch and sugar in bowl; massage liquid into meat with your fingers. Marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.
Preparation: Wash asparagus; peel tough white outer skin off ends; slice on diagonal in 2 1/2″ sections. Rinse fermented black beans. In bowl, combine and mash black beans and garlic, brown sugar, black soy sauce and chicken stock; stir; reserve for 15 minutes.
Stir Frying: Add 2/3 of oil to hot wok; when oil is very hot, add chicken. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes on high heat - or until chicken begins to shrink and firm up. Remove chicken to holding bowl.
Reheat wok to high, add remaining oil. When oil is hot, add black bean sauce. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add asparagus; mix with sauce. Stir sauce with asparagus. When sauce boils, add cooked chicken; toss to combine. Dribble in a little cornstarch paste if needed; cornstarch in chicken marinade might be enough. Toss ingredients until very little liquid remains and is reduced to glaze. Dish is ready when asparagus brightens. If you still have too much liquid, remove ingredients, continue to reduce sauce, then return ingredients to coat them with sauce. Serve in individual portions.
Applebee’s® Low-Fat Blackened Chicken Salad
Applebee’s original Blackened Chicken Salad quickly became a favorite, encouraging this popular full-service chain to create a low-fat version of the delish dish. While most of the fat in the original comes from the tasty honey mustard dressing, this version creates a dressing that tastes just as good, yet has not a single gram of fat. Combine that with fresh lettuce, shredded carrot, a little egg white, non-fat shredded cheese, and a delicious Cajun spice blend which generously coats chicken seared in light butter then grilled, and you have a majorly munchable salad which is incredibly easy on the waistline. Who says you need gobs of fat to create a tasty meal?
Dressing
1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/4 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Chicken Marinade
1 cup water
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire
Cajun Spice Blend
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons light butter
Salad
8 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup fat free shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese
1 large tomato, diced
1 hardboiled egg white, diced
1. Make dressing by combining ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well by hand. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until salad is ready.
2. Combine water, lime juice, soy sauce, and Worcestershire in a medium bowl, and stir. Add the chicken breasts to the marinade, cover bowl and keep in refrigerator for several hours. Overnight is even better.
3. When chicken is marinated, preheat a frying pan or skillet (an iron skillet, if you’ve got it) over medium/high heat. Also, preheat your barbecue grill to medium/high heat.
4. Combine the spices for the Cajun spice blend in a small bowl. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the spice blend over one side of each of the chicken breasts. Cover the entire surface of the chicken with spice.
5. Melt the butter in the hot pan, then sear the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes on the side with the spices. While first side cooks, sprinkle another teaspoon of spice over the top of each chicken breast, coating that side as you did the other. Flip the chicken over, and sear for another 2-3 minutes. The surface of the chicken will be coated with a charred, black layer of flavor. This is exactly what you are shooting for.
6. Finish the chicken off on your barbecue grill. Grill each breast on both sides for 2-3 minutes, or until they are done.
7. While chicken is cooking prepare the salads by splitting the lettuce into two large bowls. Toss in the red cabbage and carrots. Mix the cheeses together, then top the salad with the cheeses and hardboiled egg. Sprinkle the diced tomato on each salad.
8. Slice the chicken breast, across each breast in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spread the chicken over the top of the salad and serve immediately with dressing on the side. Serves 2 as an entree.